20 waysto
on your
1 Avoid paying extra installation charges when
you order new phone service. Have all the
work done at one time. Changing your mind later
will mean extra visits and extra charges. So con
sider carefully all the different colors and styles,
how many phones you want and exactly where
you want them installed.
2 Ask one of our business office Service Repre
sentatives to explain the different types of
service offered by your local Bell Company.
Choose the one which best fits your pattern of call
ing. If you don't do a lot of calling each month, ask
if "budget" or "limited" service is available in your
area at a lower rate.
3 Ask the Service Representative for a rundown
on the specific rates and charges you can ex
pect. Find out exactly what the regular monthly
charges will be, and what the one-time-only pay
ments are. Find out whether there are options in
your area of paying on a monthly basis, or making
a single one-time only payment, on certain items.
4 Are you going to be away from home for any
extended period of time? A business office
Service Representative can tell you, based on how
long you plan to be away, whether you could save
money by temporarily suspending your telephone
service.
5 Moving to a new residence? Ask a Service
Representative whether you are eligible for
a credit on your bill if you take your present
phones along with you to your new location.
6If you've never had a phone in your name be
fore, or have never established credit, you
may be asked to pay a deposit when you order tele
phone service. But we don't like to keep deposits
for long periods of time. In fact, if you establish
good credit with us by paying on time, we'll return
your deposit to you PLUS interest. Ask a Service
Representative to explain the details which apply
in your area.
7If a coin phone swallows your money but
doesn't give you your call, you're entitled to
a refund. Find a phone that works, dial "Operator
and explain what happened. You'll get a refund in
the mail. PS.We'd appreciate it if you'd also tell
the operator the telephone number and location
of the phone that's out of order so we can get it
fixed as soon as possible.
Reach a wrong number on a Long Distance
call you just dialed? Don't just hang up. Ask
for the area code and the number you reached in
error. Then dial "Operator" and report what hap
pened. The operator will have the charge removed.
9 Get a poor connection on a Long Distance
call, or get cut off in the middle of your con
versation? Don't just hang up and call back. The
person who placed the call should report what hap
pened to an operator. The operator will issue a
credit for the time your call was interrupted.
10 Error on your bill, with a charge for a Long
Distance call you didn't make? Call the
business office. A Service Representative will ar
range to get the charge removed.
1 Save on Long Distance charges by cutting
down on person-to-person calls. It's true you
may not be able to reach the person you want on
your first try with a station-to-station call. But in
many instances you can make two (or even three)
out-of-state station-to-station calls for what it
would cost you to make that one person-to-person
call. This is particularly true if you dial your own
calls instead of going through an operator.
12 Dialing your own out-of-state Long Dis
S tance calls is the least expensive way of all.
If you don't know the number for a call you want
to make to a distant city, you can obtain it at no
charge to you by dialing the area code (when re
quired) for that city, plus 555-1212, for Directory
Assistance. Then dial direct and save. Save time